Partitioning a Network into Sub-Networks Based on User Utility

1. A computer-implemented method of partitioning a global network into a sub-network performed on a processor that includes a non-transitory memory device, the sub-network representing a reduced dataset of potential itineraries in a hierarchical database, the method comprising: analyzing a global network of nodes to assess the passenger utility of existing paths between origin-destination pairs of airports within the global network by performing the following steps for each node in the global network: loading a set of nodes for an origin; comparing a first node of the set of nodes to a destination, wherein the first node includes a first branching structure of subsequent nodes in the hierarchical database; storing, if the first node is the destination, an existing path to a file; generating, if the first node is not the destination, a new hypothetical leg connecting the first node directly to the destination to form a new hypothetical path from the origin to the destination, wherein the new hypothetical leg is not currently stored in the database and is not currently a leg between the origin and the destination; comparing the new hypothetical path to a stopping rule; storing the new hypothetical path to a reduced dataset and adding the first node to a list of worthy nodes if the utility of the new hypothetical path exceeds a predetermined low value; and stopping the analysis of subsequent nodes in the first branching structure if the utility of the new hypothetical path is less than the predetermined low value; in the event of a change to the global network, analyzing a sub-network of the global network for an effect of the change on the passenger utility of origin-destination pairs within the sub-network, the sub-network to be analyzed containing only nodes that are included in existing paths of the sub-network and nodes that are included among the list of worthy nodes, wherein the change comprises a change in equipment, schedule, or fare.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: loading a set of 2 nd order nodes for the first node; comparing a first 2 nd order node of the set of 2 nd order nodes to the destination, wherein the first 2 nd order node includes a first 2 nd order branching structure of subsequent nodes in the hierarchical database; storing, if the 2 nd order node is the destination, a 2 nd order existing path to the file; generating, if the 2 nd order node is not the destination, a new hypothetical leg connecting the 2 nd order node to the destination to form a new 2 nd order hypothetical path from the origin to the destination wherein the new hypothetical leg is not currently stored in the database and is not currently a leg between the origin and the destination; determining a utility of the new 2 nd order hypothetical path; comparing the utility of the new 2 nd order hypothetical path to the predetermined low value; storing the new 2 nd order hypothetical path to the reduced dataset and adding the 2 nd order node to a list of worthy nodes if the utility of the new 2 d order hypothetical path exceeds the predetermined low value; and stopping the analysis of subsequent nodes of the first 2 nd order branching structure if the utility of the new 2 nd order hypothetical path is less than the predetermined low value.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stopping rule includes a predetermined low passenger utility value and the method further comprises: determining a utility of the hypothetical path; comparing the utility of the hypothetical path to the predetermined low passenger utility value; storing the hypothetical path to the reduced dataset in response to the utility of the hypothetical path exceeding the predetermined low passenger utility value; and stopping analysis of subsequent nodes of the first branching structure in response to the utility of the hypothetical path being less than the predetermined low passenger utility value.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stopping rule includes a predetermined high number of connecting flights and the method further comprises: determining a number of connecting flights for the hypothetical path; comparing the number of connecting flights for the hypothetical path to the predetermined high number of connecting flights; storing the hypothetical path to the reduced dataset in response to the number of connecting flights for the hypothetical path being less than the predetermined high number of connecting flights; and stopping analysis of subsequent nodes of the first branching structure in response to the number of connecting flights for the hypothetical path exceeding the predetermined high number of connecting flights.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stopping rule includes a predetermined high duration of layovers value and the method further comprises: determining a layover duration for the hypothetical path; comparing the layover duration for the hypothetical path to the predetermined high duration of layovers value; storing the hypothetical path to the reduced dataset in response to the layover duration for the hypothetical path being less than the predetermined high duration of layovers value; and stopping analysis of subsequent nodes of the first branching structure in response to the layover duration for the hypothetical path exceeding the predetermined high duration of layovers value.

6. An apparatus for partitioning a global network into a sub-network, the sub-network representing a reduced dataset of potential itineraries in a hierarchical database, the apparatus comprising: means for analyzing a global network of nodes to assess the passenger utility of existing paths between origin-destination pairs of airports within the global network, including: means for loading a set of nodes for an origin; means for comparing a first node of the set of nodes to a destination, wherein the first node includes a first branching structure of subsequent nodes in the hierarchical database; means for storing, if the first node is the destination, an existing path to a file; means for generating, if the first node is not the destination, a new hypothetical leg directly connecting the first node to the destination to form a new hypothetical path from the origin to the destination, wherein the new hypothetical leg is not currently stored in the database and is not currently a leg between the origin and the destination; means for comparing the new hypothetical path to a stopping rule; means for storing the new hypothetical path to a reduced dataset and adding the first node to a list of worthy nodes if the utility of the new hypothetical path exceeds a predetermined low value; and stopping the analysis of subsequent nodes in the first branching structure if the utility of the new hypothetical path is less than the predetermined low value; means for analyzing, in the event of a change to the global network, a sub-network of the global network for an effect of the change on the passenger utility of origin-destination pairs within the sub-network, the sub-network to be analyzed containing only nodes that are included in existing paths of the sub-network and nodes that are included among the list of worthy nodes, wherein the change comprises a change in equipment, schedule, or fare.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising: means for loading a set of 2 nd order nodes for the first node; means for comparing a first 2 nd order node of the set of 2 nd order nodes to the destination, wherein the first 2 nd order node includes a first 2 nd order branching structure of subsequent nodes in the hierarchical database; means for storing, if the 2 nd order node is the destination, a 2 d order existing path to the file; means for generating, if the 2 nd order node is not the destination, a new hypothetical leg connecting the 2 nd order node to the destination to form a new 2 nd order hypothetical path from the origin to the destination wherein the new hypothetical leg is not currently stored in the database and is not currently a leg between the origin and the destination; means for determining a utility of the new 2 nd order hypothetical path; means for comparing the utility of the new 2 nd order hypothetical path to the predetermined low value; means for storing the new 2 nd order hypothetical path to the reduced dataset and adding the 2 nd order node to a list of worthy nodes if the utility of the new 2 nd order hypothetical path exceeds the predetermined low value; and means for stopping the analysis of subsequent nodes of the first 2 nd order branching structure if the utility of the new 2 nd order hypothetical path is less than the predetermined low value.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the stopping rule includes a predetermined low passenger utility value and the apparatus further comprises: means for determining a utility of the hypothetical path; means for comparing the utility of the hypothetical path to the predetermined low passenger utility value; means for storing the hypothetical path to the reduced dataset in response to the utility of the hypothetical path exceeding the predetermined low passenger utility value; and means for stopping analysis of subsequent nodes of the first branching structure in response to the utility of the hypothetical path being less than the predetermined low passenger utility value.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the stopping rule includes a predetermined high number of connecting flights and the apparatus further comprises: means for determining a number of connecting flights for the hypothetical path; means for comparing the number of connecting flights for the hypothetical path to the predetermined high number of connecting flights; means for storing the hypothetical path to the reduced dataset in response to the number of connecting flights for the hypothetical path being less than the predetermined high number of connecting flights; and means for stopping analysis of subsequent nodes of the first branching structure in response to the number of connecting flights for the hypothetical path exceeding the predetermined high number of connecting flights.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the stopping rule includes a predetermined high duration of layovers value and the apparatus further comprises: means for determining a layover duration for the hypothetical path; means for comparing the layover duration for the hypothetical path to the predetermined high duration of layovers value; means for storing the hypothetical path to the reduced dataset in response to the layover duration for the hypothetical path being less than the predetermined high duration of layovers value; and means for stopping analysis of subsequent nodes of the first branching structure in response to the layover duration for the hypothetical path exceeding the predetermined high duration of layovers value.